


Traditions

by Mareel



Series: Always [60]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Beverages, Celebrations, Crew as Family, Dancing, Destroy Ending, F/M, Flowers, Food, Friendship, M/M, Memories, Music, Post-Canon, Post-Mass Effect 3, Traditions, Wedding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-28
Updated: 2016-05-28
Packaged: 2018-06-10 03:15:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6937366
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mareel/pseuds/Mareel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Free as the dust in the solar wind…</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	Traditions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Misprinting (misprinting)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/misprinting/gifts).



> This takes place on the Citadel approximately two years after the Reaper War was won. Much of the Citadel and many of the mass relays have been repaired, and Shepard continues to make progress in recovering from his injuries. This is Shepard's voice. 
> 
> _Khelish_ is the quarian language. The summary is from the quarian movie "Fleet  & Flotilla".

 

"Are you ready for this, Shepard?"

"This isn't exactly something they taught in N7 training."

Kaidan straightens the collar of my dress blues and leans close for a kiss. "You'll do fine. At least you don't have to speak Khelish or Turian. Tali has been doing a ton of research on old Earth customs. I think they wanted to stick with those traditions."

I nod, rolling my neck and shoulders to try to make the uniform feel more comfortable. It's been a while since I wore one. "I'm not even a real captain."

"You were Tali'Zorah's Captain when you spoke for her at her trial. She’s never forgotten that. It meant a lot to her." Kaidan reaches for my hand to draw me closer, resting his forehead against mine for a long moment before kissing me lightly. “I wish I could have been there to hear that speech you made to the Admirals to get them to clear her name. She told me once that she’s sure you could probably persuade a group of drunken krogans not to belch.”

He always seems to know how to get me to relax. “Let’s hope I don’t have to try that at the reception tonight. I’m looking forward to seeing Grunt again. It’s been a long time.”

Downstairs, it looks like like everything is ready for the party. Kaidan is double-checking to make sure the _dextro_ -friendly liquor and snacks are tagged appropriately. “Did the quarian ‘champagne’ from Admiral Raan get put in the cooler?” 

“I put it there myself as soon as she had it sent over. Still not sure what it’s really made from… hard to imagine the migrant fleet growing grapes somewhere on their ships.”

I laugh, remembering how Kaidan had carefully pointed out all of the grape varieties grown in his family’s orchards in British Columbia. "You’re thinking like a farmer, Alenko. The quarians are engineers. They’d find a way.”

“I guess we’ll never know. Probably would give me a worse headache than regular champagne.”

Just before we leave, Glyph stops me to talk about the music planned for the event. “I see you’re wearing your bow tie again. Very festive. I’d say mix it up, start off fairly quiet, but after they cut the cake, queue up the dance tunes.”

Kaidan interrupts my instructions to make one addition. “There’s a tradition Tali wants to use… it’s called a first dance. Just for her and Garrus to dance together. I think they picked a tango. Do you have that ready?”

Glyph nods, asking one further question. “Do you consider this other selection as being appropriate? Joker contacted me to request it. He said it’s also traditional… something for a group dance called the _Hokey Pokey_?” 

I look to Kaidan on that one. I have no clue. I’ll plead my spacer upbringing for my ignorance. He laughs, apparently recognizing the dance. “Go for it, Glyph.”

“We should go. See you later!” 

Linking my fingers with Kaidan's, we leave the apartment to get a cab to the Presidium – one of the new parks there has a pretty impressive waterfall. Neither of us says much during the trip. For my part, I’m admiring how much of the Citadel has been rebuilt over the past year. The taxi deposits us near the embassy sector, leaving us a short walk to the park. “I’m sure we’ll recognize the spot. It will probably be decked with flowers from every world within relay reach.”

"Tali was always such a romantic. She kept my omni-tool filled with quarian romance novels all the time you were in the hospital. Not sure about the literary value, but it helped pass the time."

"I remember. She was appalled that I'd never seen "Fleet & Flotilla" so she made me watch it with her one night during our shore leave here... and she sang along to all the songs."

Kaidan’s laughter trails off into a brief silence. "You know that she loved you, John?"

I squeeze his hand, hoping to reassure him. "Yeah, I know. She all but told me... and I had to find a way to let her know that she meant a lot to me as my friend. But that it couldn't be any more than that for me."

"Did she understand why? You and I weren't even together yet..." There's an undertone to his voice, sadness... maybe regret. "I wasn't even part of your life during those months on the _SR-2_."

We stop walking for a moment, and I wrap my arms around Kaidan. "I don't know. She said something about us being two lonely people from different worlds... that it could work. I told her it had nothing to do with her being quarian. It was just that I wasn't built that way. She said she understood, and drew my head down to touch her mask to my forehead for a moment."

Kaidan is silent for a long moment himself. "I love you, John. You were so kind to her. And it never affected your friendship?"

"No, we were good. When she rejoined the _Normandy_ to take on that geth dreadnaught, she saw us together. She caught me alone and said that now she finally understood what I'd meant... and told me she was so happy for us."

Before I let him slip from my arms, I add one other thought. “And just so you know – you weren't with me on the _Normandy_ then, but you were far from being no part of my life. I don't think a day passed that I didn't miss you."

He kisses me, both of us oblivious to our being in public, a kiss that reminds me that all of that is past and forgiven. 

We continue our slow walk. I'm glad to be able to do without the cane today. The Presidium is in sight. Our friends have gathered already… nearly all of our _Normandy_ crewmates are here. I don't see Tali, but Garrus is there, looking dapper in his formalwear. He waves as he sees us approaching. 

"You should join him, Kaidan. Aren't you his best man?"

"I am. He told me my only duty was to provide plenty of turian whiskey. And to make sure he didn't drink it all beforehand. Done and done. I'm sure Tali is planning on dancing half the night at the reception. He wanted to be prepared."

Kaidan gives me a quick kiss and goes to stand beside Garrus near the waterfall. The string quartet shifts from Bach to the Pachelbel _Canon_. I smile, remembering how Tali had enjoyed discovering Earth music after the war. She always had some new song on her omni-tool that she wanted to share with me whenever she visited me in the hospital. 

After I take my place next to Garrus and Kaidan, the guests turn toward the pathway as Liara enters, dressed in a pale blue gown. Tali follows, escorted by her Auntie Raan, Admiral Shala'Raan vas Rannoch. Wearing a filmy purple skirt tied over her environmental suit, Tali carries an armful of white flowers. Roses and lilies mostly. I remember her telling me once that she wished she could touch a flower petal. Maybe she will one day, on Rannoch. But I'm glad she can enjoy them now anyway.

As Tali approaches the waterfall, Garrus joins her, taking her hand after she passes the bouquet to Liara. I don't need to see the face behind her mask to know that she's beaming. And Garrus never takes his eyes from her.

I take a deep breath and glance over at Kaidan. His smile is all love, reassuring me that I really _can_ do this – carry out this ancient prerogative of ship's captains. 

"Dear friends, we have gathered here today... "

__________________________________________________________________

 

_Since the days of the first wooden vessels,  
all ship masters have had one happy privilege:  
that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony._

\- Captain James T. Kirk - Star Trek

 


End file.
